ABSTRACT: A pot experiment was carried out to investigate
the yield of Indian spinach (Basella alba L.) and their uptake and availability of phosphorus from lime and phosphorus
amended acidic soil. Four rates of lime (L) equivalent to 0, 500, 1000 and 2000 kg CaCO3 ha-1 and four rates of phosphorus (P) equivalent to 0, 50, 100, and 150 kg·P·ha-1 of TSP were applied in combinations as treatments. Dry matter yield, P
concentrations in shoot and root and P uptake by Indian spinach were determined
after harvesting 10 weeks old plant and soil samples were collected from each
pot to measure available P by Olsen method. Both L and P and their combinations
had significant (P 0.001) effects on shoot and root biomass, shoot
and root P concentrations, P uptake by Indian spinach and P availability.
Although lime and P increased biomass production, P concentrations of shoot and
root, and its uptake by Indian spinach and available P, this effect was boosted
by combining L with P applied. 1000 kg lime plus 100 kg P were adequate for
plant growth. Available P was strongly and positively correlated (R2 = 0.909, P = 0.000) with P uptake by plant. Results of the
present study indicated that lime and phosphorus could be used in combination
to enhance plant growth.